As the fall breeding stock sale moves closer, we realize that a New
Year and a new breeding season are just around the corner. Unlike last
year at this time, we can enter this year’s sales and upcoming breeding
season with more confidence. The 2001 and 2002 breeding seasons brought
us Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) which devastated many horsemen
and put fear into all of us. In 2003, however, we now have “a compass heading”
to point for with control measures. The Eastern Tent Caterpillar (ETC)
has been established to have a relationship with the incidence of MRLS.
Research still has no exact mechanism that defines “why” the ETC effects
pregnant mares but we do have proof that MRLS was dramatically reduced
or not present on farms that used control measures to rid farms of the
ETC.

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club will hold its November
5th meeting to discuss caterpillar control and the research to back up
the importance of reducing your caterpillar population. The night’s event
will be moderated by Dr. Jimmy Henning with the Department of Agronomy
at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Henning will also give a summary of
his monitoring programs for the 2002 MRLS season. The evening’s panel will
consist of Dr. Lee Townsend, Department of Entomology at the University
of Kentucky, to discuss control strategies for 2003. Also Dr. Stuart Brown
will touch on his field results seen by farms following the contingency
plans and the studies that followed fetal growth and development in MRLS
exposed mares. Dr. Bill Bernard, President of the Kentucky Association
of Equine Practitioners, will be present to update our group on the past
study results from research projects dealing with ETC exposure. Our last
panelist is Steve Johnson, President of Margaux Farm in Midway. He will
discuss his field experience with caterpillar control and some management
practices that were implemented in 2002 to reduce losses to MRLS.

I am pleased to put together this panel that will present the first
MRLS meeting with a positive, helpful, and informative agenda.

As we all know, MRLS was not breed specific. Thoroughbreds were not
the only breed affected by this problem. For this reason the KTFMC is going
to make our November 5th meeting at the Embassy Suites on Newtown Pike
open to non-members who can attend by making a reservation. The open registration
will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Whether you are a member of the KTFMC or not, please call and make
your reservations at 296-4279 with Linda Javid. The reservation fee for
all non-members is $20 and must be pre-paid (credit card okay).

Please join us in November so that we can develop a working management
plan for the 2003 breeding season.